Soldering-machine



LN. COFFELDER. SOL'DERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 8. |918.

Emma Feb. 1,1921.

mmcmm.

T.N.COFFELDER soLEamG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8| 1918.

1,367,018. y Peeeneea Feb. 1,1921.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Emiel,

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. OOFFELDER, or CINCINNATI, OIIIO, ,AssIeNora RY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS,

To LIBERTY RADIATOR COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SOLDERINGMACIIINR Application filed April 8,

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS N. .Corrnnnmn a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soldering` Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a art of this specification.

l y invention relates to soldering machines, and is directed particularly to the provision of a machine adapted and arranged to solder radiator tubes, and other similar tubes, internally.

In the soldering of tubes of the character mentioned it has heretofore been the general practice to dip the tubes into 4the solder', thus causing a certain amount of the solder to enter the joint and secure the same. It is found, however, that 4in the practice `of this method, the solder is not` evenly distributed in the joint, and the seam is, in fact, very defectively secured at points on many oc-l casions. One object of my invention is to provide means whereby-a thinribbon of solder may be introducedbetween the edges to be soldered, thus assuring an even distribution of the solder and a uniformly perfect seam throughout its length, with a saving also, of a large per cent. of the solder which is wasted in the dipping process, byreason of its adherence to parts of the tube where its presence is of no beneficial effect.

In my co-pending applications for patents on radiator constructions, I have disclosed, in connection with the other details of said radiator constructions, single piece fiat tubes, to the construction .and soldering of which my present `invention is particularly designed and adapted. Said applications bearM Serial. Numbers 157 ,092 and 183,702 respectively.

Other ob 'ects of myy invention will `appear from the following description thereof in connection Vwith the appended claims.

In vthe drawings:

Figure 1 lis a perspective of my new soldering machine;

Fig. 2 is a 4plan view of the same;

Fig' is a cross-section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. .4

is a cross section on line ,1l-4 of Fig. 2; Y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

1918. Serial N0. 227,260.

Fig 5 is a cross section on line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 1s a cross section on line (56 of Fler. 2;

*llign 7 1s a cross section on line 7 7 of he numeral l indicates the standards upon which my machine is mounted. Secured in the upper ends of the said standards are two parallel horizontal rods 2-2. Near one end of the rods 2*-2 is a yoke 3 in the upper part of which a shaft 4L is journaled. Mounted on one end of the shaft fl is a pulley 5, by means of' which the machine is driven. Mounted on theshaft 4 between the rods 22 is a sprocket wheel 6. Secured near the other ends of the rods 2-2 is a second yoke 7 having a `shaft 8, upon which shaft a sprocket wheel 9 is secured. A chain 10 is mounted on the wheels 6 and 9, being driven by the former. The chain 10 is provided throughout its length at regular intervals with lugs 11. On a shaft 12, jour naled between the middle standards 1, is an idler' 13, provided for the usual purpose.`

. Mounted on brackets 14 on the rods 2-2 is the table 1.5, which extends throughout the length ofthe machine. Near its right hand end the machine is also `provided with a feed table 16, which is of greater width than the table 15, and is adapted to receive a number of the tubes to be soldered. The table 15 has its inner edge adjacent to, and parallel with, the line of travel of the chain 10 between the sprocket wheels 6 and 9, and the said edge of the table is provided with a short upward extension 17, which serves as a lateral `guide for the tubes as they are conveyed through the machine while being sol.-`

dered.

. Between brackets 18, which extend outwardly .from the right handv end of the machine, a spool 19 is mounted. The spool 19 carries a ribbon of solder 20 to be used in soldering the tubes.

Mounted on the brackets 14, contiguous -to and on the opposite side of the chain 10 .from `the table 15, is a shelf 21, which is arranged to support the tubes during the Y several processes to which they are subjected in the machine. On the shelf 21, near the right hand end of the machine. is a guide plate` 22,; also on the shelf` 21 is a support- @ing plate 23, arranged to support the tubes during the initial step in the soldering` process. Secured to the front face ot the guide plate 22, or otherwise suitably supported in front of said plate, at an elevation slightly 5 above the plate 23 is a tube 24 through which the ribbon ot solder, 20, is fed into the tubes as hereinafter set forth. Near one end of the tube there is an opening 25 in its up- Vper side. Supported on a bracket 26 on the shelf 21 is an .acid tank 27, which is provided with a discharge tut e 28 for discharging acid into the opening 25 of the tube 24. A valve 29 controls the flow of the acid.

Secured to the front face of the guide plate l5 22, beyond the lett end ot' the tube 24 and in line therewith, is an acid distributing;` brush 30. Mounted above the sheliE 2i by meaus of suitable brackets', is a bar 3l, which carA 'ries the Various mechanisms Afor operating' on the tubes after the ribbon oit solder has been inserted between the edges to be secured., The right hand end oi said bar has an inclined extension 32, to the 1free end ol which a ,guide plate is secured, the said plate being` arranged to compress the open edges of the tube, between which the ribbon of solder has been inserted, upon the acid distributing brush 30, for the purpose ot spreading; the acid evenly over the surfaces 30 to be soldered.

Pivotally secured to thebar 31, from right to left respectively at the required intervals, arebell crank levers 34, and 3G. The upper arms of the levers 34 and 3G are pro- 35 vided with adjustable weights 37. Pivotally secured to the lower short arm ot the lever 34 is a compression bar 38; the tree end ot the bar 38 is similarly secured to a link 39 `pivoted to the bar 31. The right hand end 40 Vof the bar 38 is beveled, as shown at 40, to permit the automatic insertion ot the ends of the tubes under the bars during` their travel, as hereinafter set forth. livotally secured to the lower arm of the lever 35 is a soldering bar 41; the free end ot said bar is similarly secured to a link 42 pivoted to the 'bar 3l. The upper arm of the lever 35 is provided with a .weighted handle 43. To the lower arm oil the lever 36, there is sccured a cooling bar 44, the same being pivoted to said arm and to a. link 45, which latter is also pivoted to the bar 3l. The bar 44 should be made of aluminum, for the reason that this metal will not `adhere to the melted solder ofthe tubes as they are compressed or cooling. The adjacent ends of the bars 4lV and 44 are arranged to Contact as the bar 41is movedslightly to the lett in being lifted by the handle 43, thus also rais- GO ine the'cooling bar as will be apparent.

. Mounted on a bracket, or brackets, 46, to the rear of the shelf 2l, is a gas, or other, burner 47, supplied by a pipe 48. Air is introduced to the burner, to provide a flame of suitable intensity, by means of a blower 49 and a pipe 50. The valve 5l in the gas liney is operated trom a convenient point by means ot a. stem 51 and handle 52 suitably located.

Secured on the upper side ot' the cooling bar 44 is a metal plate upon which water from a pipe 54 is discharged to keep the bai- 44 constantly cooled, the plate 53 serving; :ul a channel to distribute the water tlu'oue'houtv the length of the bar. A, valve 55 controls the water supply.

The guide plate 17, opposite the solder-inn' bar 4l and the cooling;` bar 44, is provided with overlapping plates 5G. which prevent the free edges ot the tubes trom raising' while the opposite edges are being; conipressed while operated upon b v the soldering and cooling bars.

Pivotally mounted on the shel't 2i, under the tube 24, are two spline` controlled fingers 57, the same extending' forward over the chain l0, and being` arranged to viehl against the tension ot springs 58 to permit the passage of the lugs il, after which tht` springs cause them iminediateliv to resume their normal position over the chain. These lingers serve to guide the edges ot the tubi` as it is inserted in the machine. causing' the lower edge, which is inserted upon the fingers to pass under the tuhc and the other to pass above said tube.

The 2euide 17 and the plate 5G are curved outwardly and upwardlyv respectively. as shown at 59 and 60 respectively. to provide 'for the easy entrance ot' the. tubes into the respective ,euideways` The operation ot' my new soldering` niachine is as follows: The machiin` as comprising` the details oi construction abovt` di scribed, is particularly adapted for internally solderingf the edges ot one piet-e [lat radiator tubes, shown in Isect-ion and end elevation in Figs. 3 to '7, both inclusive. at 61. rlhe tubes ot this description. unsoldered, are placed ou the table it, beine; thence ted by the operator, one at a time. into the machine, by placing` each in V front ol" one of the lugs 1l on the chain lO. with out` of the open edges ot the tube restingv on the lingers 57. and the other edge passing' ubovt` the tube 24. The ribbon ot solder having' previously been inserted through tln` tube 24, the end of the said ribbon is hooked upon the forward end of the initial tube so as to cause the solder to begin teeding' with tht` tubes. The tlux has been applied to tht` solder at the opening 25 in the tube 24. .is the lug il causes the tube to progr it. with the solder, is carried pastl the distribut ingbrush 30, one edge oi the tube being under the brush and the other edge above the same, as shown in Fig. 4. The tlux on the solder is thus thoroughly distributed. Further proceeding, the tube passes under the compression bar 38, where it is subjected l (lt) lltl to some pressure and the edges of the tube and the ribbon of solder are brought into proper position for completion of the seam. From the bar 38 the tube edges pass under the soldering bar 4l, where',` the heat produced by the flames from the burner i7 causes the solder to fuse, and the pressure of the heated bar 41 completes the union of the tube edges.

F rom the soldering bar, the tube edges, now a completed seam, pass under the cooling bar 44, which is thus brought into contact with the seam and cools the same under pressure sufficiently to cause the solderl to set. The tube is then automatically discharged from the machine.

It will be nndestood that, after the solder has been secured in the initial tube by hooking it to the forward end of said tube, it is not necessary further so to secure the ribbon to the succeeding tubes, for the rea* son that the frictional cont-act of the ribbon with the edges of the tubes as they pass under the bar 38 is suiicient to cause the feeding of the solder to all tubes succeeding the first.

In the foregoing specification and in the drawings I have described and illustrated one typical form of my invention as it is applied to the internal soldering of tubes of a particular design. It will be understood, however, that the principle of my invention as therein disclosed, is susceptible of many modifications in details and in its applica tion to tubes and devices of various character, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the details above set forth, but to cover as well all such modifications of the principle disclosed as fall reasonably within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a soldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to be soldered through the machine, means for supplying a ribbon of solder between the edges of said articles, means for fusing said solder, and a pressure device arranged to bear against said seam subsequent to the heating of the solder for cooling the same and causing the solder to set, substantially as set forth.

2. In a soldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to be soldered through the machine, means for supplying a ribbon of solder between the edges of said articles, means for using said solder. a pressure bar arranged to bear against said seam subsequent to the heating of the solder for cooling the same and causing the solder' to set, and means for raising and lowering said bar, substantially as set forth.

4.-. In a soldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to be soldered through the machine, means whereby a ribbon of solder is fed between the edges of said articles, a soldering bar arranged to press said edges together, means for heating said solder while under said bar to fuse the same, and means for raising and lowering said bar, substantially as set forth.

5. In asoldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to be soldered through the machine, means whereby 'a ribbon of solder is fed between the edges of said articles, a soldering bar arranged to press said edges together, means for heating said solder while under said bar to fuse the same, means for raising and lowering said bar, a cooling bar arranged to bear upon the soldered edges to cause the solder to set, and means for raising and lowering said cooling bar simultaneously with the like operations of the soldering bar, substantially as set forth.

G. In a soldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to he soldered through the machine, means whereby a' ribbon of solder is fed between the edges of said articles, means for applying flux tosaid solder andV said edges, a soldering bar arranged to press said edges together, means for heating said solder while under said bar to fuse the same, and means for raising and lowering said bar, substantially as set forth.

7. In a soldering machine, in combination with means for conveying articles to be soldered through the machine, means whereby a ribbon of solder fed between the edges of said articles, means for 'applying flux `to said solder and said edges, a soldering bar arranged to press said edges together, means for heating said solder while under said bar to fuse the same, means for raising and lowering said bar, a cooling bar arranged tov bear upon the soldered edges to cause the solder to set, and means for raising and lowering said cooling bar simultaneously with the like operations of the soldering bar, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS N. COFFELDER.

llO 

